#dragon age mythal

[seffie-jade]

Some of my thoughts about vows and vengeance. I cannot be normal about this. I thought I'd share screenshots of my twitter ramblings because I do not have the energy to be cohesive or coherent rn

[autumns-high-lady]

So if the Rook is the strongest chess piece right after the Queen…

Could Rook become the next most powerful player right behind Mythal? Technically, she’s the “queen” of the Evanuris.

(I’m probably thinking too much)

[melinarhiannon7sketchbook]

Part 2 of the Neve Gallus breakdown and theory post.

[firstknightvulion]

This idea hit me like a freight train after watching the trailer.

The most important decision you make in Inquisition is who drinks from the Well.

They who drank from the well is gonna die in Veilguard. Sacrifice themselves to seal the veil along with Solas. Because of Mythal’s will. So the world will have no more God’s.

[rainythoughtsforme]

Genuine question, if Solas has claimed that Mythal was "the best" of the Evanuris...why does she have slave markings for elves?

[herald-divine-hell]

My Theory on Veilguards' Dragons

This sort of popped up with my friend, @this-is-something-idk-what, when they suggested a theory about the dragons/possible archdemons in Veilguard's Release Trailer. I'm just going to put it here, though I will worn. I feel like I read elements of this in the past, so shout out to any original theorist, but also I'm not exactly the greatest at remembering the direct lore of Dragon Age, and I'm also just dumb.

- So This-is-something-idk-what mentioned a potential theory where the archdemons were the Evanuris or the blighted gods, which I do admit is a very interesting term of phrase for Solas to use. While I'm not particularly against it, I have a few problems with it (which isn't exactly mean to attack this-is-something-idk-what). For one, the only god mentioned to be particularly associated with dragons is actual Mythal herself. I don't think this is a later revionisist take on the Elves part, when they began to directly associate different creatures to their gods potentially after Arlathan's fall, like Ghilan'nain's sacred animal being a halla. We know that Mythal was associated with dragons, even during the times of the ancient elves - the final scene with Solas and Mythal is notable with their depiction of a wolf howling on one side of the eluvian, and a dragon bowing it's head on the other. The only Evanuris, that I am aware of and what the wiki mentions, that is associated with dragons is Mythal. (Though, oddly enough, Elgar'nan, the head of the Evanuris, is notably without a sacred animal, being only noted to be symbolized with fire, light, and lightning, though I could imagine Mythal and him may have shared some elements of draconic influence.)

What I think may have lead to the establishment of the archdemons is primarily because of Mythal. According to the Veilfire Runes in the Deep Road:

"Hail Mythal, adjudicator and savior! She has struck down the pillars of the earth and rendered their demesne unto the People! Praise her name forever!"

We know that Mythal had a hand in slaying some of the Titans, and that the Evanuris halted expeditions after they acquired significant portions of Deep Roads, as the Veilfire Runes codex mentions:

For a moment, the scent of blood fills the air, and there is a vivid image of green vines growing and enveloping a sphere of fire. The vision grows dark. An aeon seems to pass. Then the runes crackle, as if filled with an angry energy. A new vision appears: elves collapsing caverns, sealing the Deep Roads with stone and magic. Terror, heart-pounding, ice-cold, as the last of the spells is cast.

That codex also makes mention that:

"What the Evanuris in their greed could unleash would end us all. Let this place be forgotten. Let no one wake its anger. The People must rise before their false gods destroy them all."

Who is making this claim is not entirely known. It is entirely possible it's a follower of Solas, but the codex doesn't give us much to go off, so I digress.

However, what I think it is interesting is that it is very likely Mythal herself, as the Elves retreated from the Deep Roads, established the dragons as a sort of safe guard against a potential attack from either the Titans, or whatever could be found that could threaten them as the codex talks about. Could it be the Blight? I'm not entirely sure. Some people have suggested that the Blight was made from the Elves, but I can also possible see that it has another originator, the Forgotten Ones - whom is curiously absent in discussion from Solas or from the recent DA material. As for the dragons...who else would place dragons, creatures of flight, who take to the heavens, within the binds of the earth? The presence of the potential archdemons all seem to point toward Mythal, though entirely why she did so is up in the air.

But that's not what I'm really trying to discuss. What I think Veilguard is utilizing the possible archdemons as seen in the Release Date trailer is something that was rarely touched upon, or kinda forgotten, in the fandom (but again, it's been nearly ten years since Trespasser, so it makes sense and we could had talked about it back then).

Solas mentions in Trespasser, at his bewilderment that Corypheus could actually succeed in unlocking his foci:

"I did not foresee a Tevinter magister having learned the secret of effective immortality."

How do we see Corypheus remain immortal? By corrupting an high dragon into his vessel. What is curious is that Solas says "the secret", and not a secret, as if the true way to remain effective immortal is to bind your life-source with another entity, powerful enough to retain it. Of course, Solas does say the Elves were immortal, all of them, but I assume that they could die or be in a state of inability. What we find with Flemeth and Mythal may hint that, which I'm like 90% was talked about in past theories. Why else would he refer to it as "effective" rather than simply "the secret of immortality". Because you don't have to technically worry about dying, even if your body is destroyed. You can simply possess another body.

Which leads me to also believe that to secure Mythal's complete dissolution, the Evanuris went beyond just attempting to kill Mythal. They went on an effective purge. It is my theory, not entirely backed I believe by any real source in the lore, that the vallaslin of ancient Elvhenan were not simply just be slave-markers, but points of restoration when an immortal died, as we have seen Corypheus have done in the Temple of Mythal. Though it could be argued that it is done through his usage of the Taint, similar to the jumping of souls of the archdemon, I am not entirely sure. After all, would Corypheus even need to learn that through the foci? Why would Solas mention it as an the secret of effective immortality? Given Flemeth-Mythal's tendency to jump into the bodies of her daughters when their older body begins to wan, I think it is less a utilization of the Taint and more an Elven invention in which Corypheus adopted, thanks to Solas' foci.

The Purge of the Mythalites seem to be implied in the Temple of Mythal in the Unreadable Elven Writing:

She shook the radiance of the stars, divided them into grains of light, then stored them in a shaft of gold. Andruil, blood and force, save us from the time this weapon is thrown. Your people pray to You. Spare us the moment we become Your sacrifice." There is a brief image of an elaborate golden spear, glowing with unbearable heat. Then it fades.

The full poem comes from both Andruil's Gift and the Unreadable Elven Writing:

She took the gathering storm, trapped its fury in golden limbs, and strung it with the screams of the south wind. Andruil, blood and force, your people pray to you. Grant that your eye may not fall upon us. Spare us the moment we become Your prey. She shook the radiance of the stars, divided them into grains of light, then stored them in a shaft of gold. Andruil, blood and force, save us from the time this weapon is thrown. Your people pray to You. Spare us the moment we become Your sacrifice.

I think it is clear, to keep Mythal from accessing a readily available form through her own practitioner-slaves, the Evanuris ordered and acted toward the slaughtering of Mythal's people, leaving her unable to access the world in a meaningful way until Flemeth (and possibly, if it is to believe, but by God I hope it is not true, Andraste).

Such, what we do find in Veilguard with the dragons/possible archdemons is the usage of the effective immortality Solas mentions in Trespasser. And it is very possible that the Evanuris are blighted, in someway, relating specifically to the Blight.

But again, this is a theory - put together in a short amount of time, at 11pm-12am, and I think my first in-depth Dragon Age theory, so please be gentle. 🥺🥺🥺

[sea-side-scribbles]

his greatest failure

[carvaraad]

sorry I'm crying, guys, I just thought of Solas killing his qpp again :(

[janehaster]

Mythal and Solas: Could both be lying, selfish bastards?

I'm not convinced Mythal was the victim of a plot by the Evanuris to murder her, as she claims. She could be lying about the circumstances of her demise, as well as about many other things, such as her image as Saviour of the People. No, no, hear me out before throwing rocks at me. I promise this will be interesting:

We don't know what happened in the time of Arlathan. The idol shows "a crowned figure" in terrible pain with her followers, and that's it. And by making a blood magic ritual, you can open a rift in the Fade that leads you to a place guarded by presumably a Pride demon in the shape of a wolf - we know it's Pride because a Spirit of Wisdom possesses many eyes and is the only one that turns into Pride - and that many people have speculated to be the Black City, the Seat of the Maker, the Center of All Creation, etc

Mythal claims she was betrayed and murdered. Solas also states the Evanuris killed her. But WHO orchestrated the whole thing? And who carried out the deed? And most importantly, WHY?

Now, Mythal is presented as this motherly figure, one that takes care of people and represents justice. But as we learned from the DA games, the stories about the Evanuris are all wrong. They're not Gods or Creators. They were Elven Magisters whose society thrived due to slavery and oppression. They were selfish and cruel, with Solas even stating one of them enjoyed blood sacrifices to their name.

Now tell me: where did Mythal's stories originate from? Not from the People. The records that exist and that told her past are the same fairy tale that the Dalish used to learn about their other gods.

And Solas is the only person who lived in ancient times that the Inquisitor knows. If he speaks well of her, then players will assume we have no choice but to believe him. However, we do know he was quite fond of her. Hell, they could even be lovers. And what lover is going to badmouth someone they miss and still care about?

"But you gotta take into account ALL that Flemeth did for the HoF and for Hawke! She's a good person! She helped our characters survive! She SAVED the HoF from that tower and carried Hawke all the way to Gwaren!"

Did she, now?

Do you remember exactly what Flemeth did in the past two games? Origins and Exodus (aka DA 2)? Let me help you remember:

In Origins, she doesn't help the Wardens. Not really. She was in dragon form. If she wanted, she could have decimated most of the darkspawn horde from above. Hell, she could have probably plucked both Duncan and King Cailan from the battlefield if she wanted. Yes, the darkspawn are evil and the taint is contagious, but who tf would mess with a dragon? I bet they give even an Ogre pause.

But no, she took the easier route and saved the two Wardens that were farthest from the battlefield and stayed out of harm's way.

What does she do, then? Being a powerful mage, one that could probably keep the HoF alive through most of their journey and make sure we don't die or become horribly maimed along the way?

She sends her daughter instead. And a daughter that, for reasons that become clear later in the game, has plenty of reasons not to trust her.

Now here is where Mythal's intentions become clear.

She doesn't accompany us not because she's old, since her age doesn't hamper her AT ALL, as proven when you choose to battle her and when she wipes out the darkspawn horde attacking the Hawke family in Exodus' prologue. She sends Morrigan because she's using her daughter to recover something of HERS. The piece of soul stored within the Archdemon likely belongs to her. She retrieves that piece through Morrigan.

In short, she risks her own daughter's life for SELFISH reasons. Morrigan learns Flemeth has MANY daughters, scattered across the world. And she's not wrong when she says her mother uses them when it's convenient.

Now get this: Morrigan clearly tells her mother "she's not ready" when Flemeth suggests she accompany the Wardens on their mission. You can hear in Morrigan's wavering voice how fearful she is of what her mother is asking her to do. Nonetheless, Flemeth insists Morrigan must go, under the guise of helping the Wardens, who "desperately" need her help.

Turns out in the end of Origins you DON'T actually need Morrigan's help!

You really don't.

What happens if you refuse to perform the Dark Ritual with Morrigan? Why, you or your Warden companion die while fighting the Archdemon. You vanquish evil and hurray, the day is saved! Flemeth doesn't get what she needs, her piece of soul dies with the dragon and the 5th Blight ends.

So how come Flemeth helped you in Origins, eh? She didn't, pal. Morrigan doesn't know shite about the taint, she doesn't know of any magic capable of shielding you or your companions from the contagious blood of the darkspawn you kill in your travels, she doesn't even know how you're supposed to win against the Archdemon! She DOES know about the Warden's little secret, but she doesn't know ANY magic that could easily defeat it. No, you have to fight your way through and beat the shit out of that dragon until it's actually dead. And that's it.

"But, but...she RESCUED you from the tower! She SAVED you from the darkspawn horde at Ostagar!"

You're forgettting something, pal. She NEEDED a Warden for her daughter to successfully perform the Dark Ritual. No Warden, no sex ritual, no reclaiming her soul piece. Again, she's using people - her daughter, in this case - to accomplish her own selfish ends.

.

.

Now let's look at Exodus.

Flemeth shows up and saves Hawke from a darkspawn horde. Granted, she didn't need to do it. HOW-E-VER, she did.

Remember the magical medallion/necklace/thingy she asks Hawke to take to Marethari, the leader of the elven clan staying at Sundermount?

She needed someone to take her precious Horcrux all the way up there. So she USES Hawke after doing something that would make them indebted to her. She saves their life and then names her price: take the medallion to the mountain.

Not only do we become agents of her will, she also flat out refuses to explain anything to us by being cryptic and speaking in metaphors.

And just what the hell did she have to do in Sundermount, so close to Kirkwall? What was so damn important?

Something tells me she was watching Morrigan from afar, discreetly following her to see what became of Kieran (she does mention her daughter when you speak to her)...but that's just speculation on my part.

.

.

Now let's take a look at Inquisition, and how it all comes together.

Flemeth is instrumental in helping the Inquisitor win against Corypheus. When Morrigan doesn't drink from the Vir Abelasan, it's Flemeth who teaches them how to summon a dragon in the fight (rather than becoming one, a skill only someone trained in it, like Morrigan, could dominate).

We also enter Mythal's temple in the Arbor Wilds and learn there are still elves SUBJECTED TO HER WILL.

I write this part of the sentence in capital letters for two major reasons:

This relates to how Cole, a spirit, was supposed to turn into a demon by remaining unprotected from Corypheus, and, therefore, subjected to his will. Mages are able to submit spirits in that fashion. And it seems the Evanuris found a way to do the same to non-spirits!

Notice how the elves all wear vallaslin at Mythal's temple, which means something very important and that probably went completely unnoticed: that Mythal MADE them wear blood writing on their face and that they were not free.

Read that again.

The elves like Abelas were not servants. THEY WERE SLAVES TO MYTHAL.

Remember how Solas removed the vallaslin from slaves who wished to be free? And why did he perform that ritual? Was that symbolic?

The answer is no. There's more to Solas' ritual than just represent freedom.

The reason is because the Evanuris likely mind controlled their slaves THROUGH BLOOD MAGIC.

The vallaslin likely contained blood from the Evanuris. And through that blood they subjected their slaves to their will.

"But we KNOW that's not HOW Mythal controlled her servants! What about drinking from the Well and Solas saying you were now bound to Mythal? What then?"

My dear reader, drinking from the Well doesn't make you obey her because that is done through the vallaslin. Drinking from the Well means you absorbed the souls of all the previous Mythal priests and are now bound to THEIR will, thus forcing you to obey her as well, even against your own will!

That's what Solas was warning you against. That's why the Inquisitor IMO should NEVER drink that shit. Especially after we learn the Inquisitor is one of the few people aware of Solas' insane plan.

So what was the point in Flemeth helping the Inquisitor in that mad fight?

Truth be told, Flemeth's role wasn't very clear in Inquisition. She was supposed to make an appearance at the temple and be betrayed by Solas (really, now, Mythal has a history of being betrayed several times over...).

Other than that, her appearance was meant to conclude her arc since Origins, by making her finally find Kieran and transfer her soul to him, turning him into the true inheritor, which was her plan from the start. A plan which Morrigan aborts and, surprisingly, which leads her mother to just...give up. Flemeth walks away and doesn't mind about her own fate anymore. She lets Solas steal Mythal's life flame and accepts her own demise.

HOW-E-VER...

We do get a glimpse of her true intentions in Mythal's warm family reunion.

You see, when asked by the Inquisitor why she's doing all this, Flemeth states it's "for a reckoning that will shake the very heavens". That's when she goes on a tirade about how she was betrayed, as the world was betrayed and how she carried Mythal through the ages, "seeking the justice denied to her".

Now this is where things become muddled in players' heads.

The Inquisitor states that FLEMETH helped heroes throughout history. Flemeth, not Mythal. And while Flemeth's backstory is tragic, it's not necessarily similar to Mythal's. Did Flemeth pursue justice for herself? Yes. Did she help people when needed? Of course.

Does that mean Mythal was behind those actions all along?

That's where I draw a big, fucking line and shout a resounding NO.

It was Flemeth's choice to help the HoF. It was Flemeth's choice to help Hawke. But did she help them out of the goodness of her heart?

The answer is another resounding NO.

The reason why she helps them both is SELF-PRESERVATION.

In the same dialog with the Inquisitor, Flemeth states that Mythal is as much a part of her as your heart is a part of your chest.

The one goading Flemeth to send her daughter Morrigan to retrieve the missing soul piece from the Archdemon is Mythal. We understand that after playing Inquisition.

But THE REASON why Flemeth goes along with that plan is because SHE ALSO DOES NOT WISH TO DIE.

"But...then WHY did she transfer her soul to Kieran? Isn't she going to die anyway? Doesn't that save Mythal? What about herself?"

My dear, naive reader. Didn't she just confess to you she became one with Mythal? Their souls are forever linked. In short, by saving Mythal, Flemeth is actually SAVING HERSELF.

Which brings us to the conclusion of this long ass post and the reason why Mythal is NOT a cute motherly figure, saviour of the oppressed, with innocent intentions toward the world.

Her personal quest begins in Origins. She finds a couple of Wardens and sends her daughter along with them for them to produce a vessel for her. She then tracks said vessel and, once it's ready, she'll fill it with her own soul and Mythal's.

And that's it. That's Flemeth's big motivation. Flemeth's, not Mythal.

Now comes the one million dollar question, the one burning in your mind, dear reader:

And what is Mythal's intention?

That's what Dreadwolf will have to answer.

But if you stayed with me so far and still believe Mythal is this holy saviour, then you haven't been paying proper attention...

Let's recap what happened, shall we?

Mythal had slaves, like every Evanuris.

She left clear instructions for them in the event of her demise (protect the Vir Abelasan).

She sees no problem in manipulating people to get them to do her bidding.

She likes to challenge authority (Flemeth, Andraste), placing the people she "possesses" in great danger.

She's vengeful and obstinate, having waited millenia for her revenge against her "betrayers".

She was Elgar'nan's wife, which means she was accustomed to being treated as a queen.

She's powerful (killed a Titan, can turn into a dragon), which would make her a formidable adversary to anyone who challenged her.

Solas, who we know to be a big LIAR - yes, omission classifies as lying -, states that Mythal was "the best of them" and that she was murdered.

Mythal is around not to save the world from impending doom. In her own words, she lingers for a reckoning that will shake the very heavens. That's to say, she no longer wants justice. She wants REVENGE.

(Thought about Anders, now, didn't you? What if Anders was a way for the devs to hint at Mythal's leitmotif?)

.

.

Now let's try to tie all this together without falling into Solas' or Mythal's fabricated narrative:

The Evanuris - one or many - brought Mythal's life to an end. Was she a tyrant? Was she a benefactor? Did she bring this on herself? We don't know. The player doesn't know. We only know of Flemeth and her personal quest since Origins. That's what we covered in this long ass post so far.

Their action seems to have fucked shit up and caused Solas to lock them up in the Crossroads, behind eluvians.

Afterwards, he raised the Veil and destroyed Arlathan, screwing the elves over in the process.

From here on, everything becomes foggy.

Solas went into uthenera. What was left of Mythal wandered into the waking world until it found hosts to possess. She then spent a long ass time creating vessels - her daughters - to ensure her ongoing existence.

The Magisters Sidereal murder tens of thousands of helpless elven slaves in a blood fest and open a fucking portal to the Fade.

They not only find out Thedas is a godless land, but contract some sort of magical black plague.

They return ugly as shit and contaminate thousands of unsuspecting innocents in the process. The Blights begin. Nearly everyone fucking dies.

A group of people concoct a potion using their knowledge of blood magic and convert the first willing soldiers into Wardens. The First Blight is vanquished.

Somewhere down the line, Mythal possesses Andraste and, after her betrayal and death, a new religion is born.

Time passes. Four Blights happen.

Mythal possesses Flemeth and both are now trying to take advantage of the Wardens to create a new vessel.

Some time, either now or in the future, Solas awakens and hands his Foci to Corypheus in an attempt to destroy the Veil and kill the big, evil magister. His plan backfires, because of course it does, and a lot of innocent people die in the process.

The Divine dies. A temple burns. There's demons and red lyrium everywhere. And the big, swirling green ass in the sky is formed. Along comes the Herald of Andraste and the Inquisition.

Solas skedaddles and forcibly takes what's left of Mythal's soul to himself and Flemeth's physical form perishes. To say we're screwed would be an understatement.

We meet Solas yet again two years later and he spews whatever bullshit to make the Inquisitor believe Mythal was such a wonderful person and unfairly killed while revealing his insane plan to reset the world for no rational or logical reason other than his desire to play god. Sounds like you should take what this guy tells you with a grain of salt, huh?

.

Finally, dear reader, we come to a conclusion. The truth is, we know nothing of Mythal save for her ardent desire for REVENGE. Not justice, but REVENGE. And what form will this revenge take is troublesome, to say the least. She has some spite against the Evanuris, but truth is in the eye of the beholder.

We DO know some of the Evanuris were downright evil, like Falon'Din - who enjoyed blood sacrifices in his name - and Ghilan'nain - who turned people into monsters. Does that mean every Evanuris or Elven Magister was necessarily evil? Did they all deserve to be locked away? Was Solas doing it to avenge Mythal or was something else going on?

And if they were indeed evil, then...why is Solas working so hard on recreating Arlathan?

Just think about it. The moment he brings down the Veil, he's giving the elven people a chance to go back to being as they were. This means that elven mages will find themselves detaining unimaginable power over their peers. And the most powerful among them will just commit the same mistakes the Evanuris did in their time: wage war on their rivals, search for more powerful forms of magic, sacrifice their people in the pursuit of power and prestige and name themselves gods.

Is that world really better than how Thedas is now? Should magic really roam free and unrestrained, as Solas wants?

Or, rather...as Mythal wants?

Because I'm still not convinced this is all Solas' plan...

...just as I'm not convinced that "wolf spirit" isn't ordering Solas around, rather than the other way around.

A reckoning that will shake the very heavens...

Solas and Mythal having a long history together since the time of Arlathan...

Mythal manipulating people for millenia with promises of power and an extended lifespan if they let her "possess" them...

I think Mythal will return in Dreadwolf...but she's not the heroine many people were misled to think she is.

[bloedewir]

Poor unfortunate soul

(Dragon Age: Inquisition and The Little Mermaid)

I'd wish there were more Mythal/Inquisitor interaction especially if Inquisitor sipped the Well of Sorrows

«I fortunately know a little magic

It's a talent that I always have possessed

And here lately, please don't laugh

I use it on behalf of the miserable, lonely, and depressed»

(the song stuck in my head so I wanted to make sort of Ursula/Ariel redraw)

[thebaldursmouthgazette]

I’m sure Dumat being defeated the same year andraste was born means nothing

I’m sure this has nothing to do with the fact that andrastes mother was part of a tribe who helped the grey wardens fight and defeat dumat the same year she was born, meaning that she could have been a fetus affected by the taint in the proximity of a dying arch demon

And the fact that nobody knows which grey warden killed dumat, as seven wardens died from injuries from his death throes, and therefore we cannot actually identify a warden who absorbed his soul, means nothing

And I’m sure it is a complete coincidence that andraste had dreams and visions of the being later referred to as the maker her whole life, and behaved strangely, talking about hearing lost voices and seeing strange auras. That absolutely doesn’t sound like anyone else we know

[cirwedh]

The very Dragon Age experience of looking for images to make a post and then finding that post already made.

[aldruiel-scribbles]

In this link there is definitely not a folder with every Dragon Age eBook, numbered in order of reading plus the two Encyclopedias about the world. Please do not use the link, there are not free books in there.

[melinarhiannon7sketchbook]

What the Beauty or Chaos? means...

I said I was done with the theory posting, however Bioware Gear sent the beauty or chaos email and pulled me back in for one more.

[lokri-art]

[pintura]

EVANURIS | THE CREATORS